We’re here to debunk one of the most common stories about naming that you hear running around out here on lying, little feet. It’s the famous story of the Chevy Nova’s name and it’s FALSE!
The Brand Name Story That Just Isn’t True
Now, it’s still critically important to check out what a name means in other languages, but this one isn’t really true. The Nova did NOT fail in Latin America because of what it means in Spanish.
This video originally appeared in LinkedIn
If you enjoyed this video, check out:
Why Is Your Brand Is Falling Flat?
How To Completely Screw Up a Brand Name
What’s the Difference Between Branding and Marketing?
TRANSCRIPT:
Hey, guys, it’s Rebeca with BrandTrue, and I want to talk about a brand name story. It’s probably the most famous brand name story. As someone who does names, I hear it all the time, and it just isn’t true. And that’s the story of the Chevy Nova.
People love to tell you that it’s really important to make sure you know what a name means in other languages because Chevy blew it when they named their car Nova, which means no va, doesn’t go. But here’s the thing, no va DOES mean doesn’t go, but nova means the same thing as nova. It’s an astronomical event, a star that’s basically blowing up. And the Chevy Nova sold really great, in, like, Venezuela and Mexico. No, it’s not true. Still important to check. I always like to say that we make sure that a name doesn’t mean booger snot in Serbo-Croatian. It’s important, but no, Nova is a fictional example. That’s all. That’s what I wanted to say. Take care. Bye!
